Farmers across Western Australia are being asked to be on ‘rabbit watch’, to keep an eye out for dead or diseased rabbits and report them to the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA).

It's estimated rabbits cost Australian agriculture $200 million annually and surveillance from the farming community is important in the ongoing control of numbers.

The release of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease calicivirus (RHDV) in the 1990s was successful in bringing numbers down throughout the landscape, but numbers are starting to creep up again.

DAFWA research officer Dr Susan Campbell says an outbreak of RHDV would be evidenced by a noticeable drop in rabbit activity and possibly dead rabbits that showed no sign of injury or disease.

"Researchers are seeking reports of suspected RHDV or myxoma virus outbreaks to enable us to collect samples from rabbit carcases and test for the prevalence of rabbit control viruses in WA," she said.

"We're hoping to stay one step ahead of rabbit numbers as they increase across the country.

"The findings we generate will help with the development and release of a new and more virulent and effective strain of calicivirus at a national level, including Western Australia."

Landholders who suspect an outbreak of either RHDV or myxoma virus are asked to immediately contact their local department office or Dr Susan Campbell on (08) 9366 2301.